Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Just One


Just One

Just recently, I had a few very interesting conversations with my close friends. After going out to dinner, we went to another friend’s house to hang out and just spend time together. My friend talk to us about her wedding plans as she and her future husband have chosen the date. We reminisced on their relationship. How it came about, how it progressed and where they are now. I found it very fascinating how fate just brings people together and how having the right person turn you into the perfect person for them. I’ve always believed that somewhere in this world, there is someone meant just for us. And we may not be all that perfect but in time, we are molded to be the person that would be perfect for the other. I understand that there is no such thing as the perfect person, but I believe that we can be the best person for another. How this all happens, is a completely different topic, which I plan to tackle next time.

In one of the conversations we had, we talked about what we want in a relationship. We all had our ideal relationships and we backtracked on previous relationships that we had. One of my friends talked about how much importance she puts on having her parents’ and family’s blessings on the relationship. I share the same value as her because I think everything eventually falls into place once the people we care the most about supports the relationship that we are in. Should problems, conflicts, and dilemmas come into play, we are sure that when we seek our family’s help, they are sure to give the advice that would be for our best interest. Then my other friend talked about the simplicity of her relationship and how it both works for her and her boyfriend. I think they are a very lucky couple because these days, relationships get more and more complicated as more factors starts to come in. I am very happy that they both manage to keep the relationship simple and real. I think this is something that more couples should strive for. I believe that the simpler the relationship is, the easier it is to manage. This is very easy to say but probably the hardest to do because I think that keeping a relationship simple needs a lot of trust, faith, honestly, respect and hope that everything will be going to be what we want it to be. My friend said that her boyfriend told her that he just wanted to be someone’s favorite person in the world. I was so moved upon hearing this, because just by that, it completely made sense… it all came together… I think that was partly how their relationship was kept simple… and yet, it meant so much!

After that night, I started to wonder and ask myself: What do I want for and from a relationship? How would I know if the person I will fall in love with is the person I want to be in a relationship with? How would I know if I’m ready for a relationship?

I think being someone’s favorite is a good start. I mean, you’d want the person you’ll be in a relationship with to think the world of you. Then I had this thought… just recently, one of my friends told me that I was the best thing that happened to her. It was very flattering to hear this. Not only because it feeds just about every aspect of someone’s ego but at the same time, it makes me believe that I’m doing someone good and something right. To have that effect on someone is very rewarding and fulfilling. I think just to be able to have an impact on someone’s life is already good… all the more if you’re the best that can happen to someone. Then I thought to myself, if it were someone else and not my friend who told me that, was that enough to make me want to be in a relationship with that person. After putting in more thoughts into it, I realized… probably not. Being the best thing to happen in someone’s life is good, but if I’m looking for a relationship that would work for me, I don’t think it would be with a person as such. The reason being with that kind of relationship, much is expected. When you become that person to another, I feel like you will constantly have to out do yourself.. because being the best is relative. One is only the best until they become second best. I think this is true not just in relationships but life in general. We see this a lot in sporting events, on people’s careers, award giving bodies, businesses, art, in practically everything around us. So I thought, for the other person, of course it is only logical for them to want to be in a relationship with someone who’s the best for them, but for the person itself, it might be difficult because of the level of expectation that has already been set even before the relationship has started. I believe that every disappointment is inversely proportional to the expectation.

Then another thought came into mind…. I thought, would I want to be in a relationship with the person who would do just about anything and everything for me. I heard a song from a boy band who talks about how they would do anything and everything for the person they love. At the initial thought, I was thinking, being with a person like that will be really good because I think it is a guarantee that they will at least try to meet all your expectations. But thinking about it more made me realize that although the perks one will be getting from this kind of relationship will be exemplary, I’m not quite sure where the relationship will be heading a few years down the road. I think with this kind of relationship, there wont be a balance and it wouldn’t look like a give and take relationship. And looks to me that it is a set up leaning towards a parasitic relationship rather than mutualism. With that thought in mind, I realized that I definitely would not want that kind of relationship, whether or not I am on a receiving end. Simply because I believe that with everything and everyone, there is a limit. No one can continue to be the giver in a relationship if you are going for “forever”. Even Aladdin was limited to only 3 wishes from the Genie.

Finally, I realized maybe I’m not ready for a relationship yet because I don’t know what I want. This, I think is very probable. I think some people make the mistake of jumping from one relationship to another just for the sake of being in a relationship. I know quite a few people who feel incomplete if they are not in a relationship with someone. It’s as if their happiness and contentment relies on the happiness and satisfaction they can give their artner and vice versa. I’ve always been very comfortable not being in a relationship, not only out of default but because I think highly of relationships and I think that our love life at present is exactly what we need at least for the time being. I see relationships as emotional investments, when the risks are high, we never gamble unless we are ready for a lost. But when we see an opportunity, we can go all in if we are aiming for a high profit. Then with this thought, I had a “somewhat Eureka!” moment. Instantly, I figured out what I wanted for my next relationship…. Or should I say my hypothetical relationship (at least for now). I think having this in mind, I would like to be with someone whom I can beat the odds with. I want someone whom I can feel the sunshine with when it rains. I want someone who will make me feel like its Christmas on Lent. Someone who will still want to go over the rainbow with me even if we both know that there wont be a pot of gold at the end of it. Someone who keeps me warm in the winter and will be the cool wind in the summer. Someone who will hand me my sneakers and tell me it’s alright when my feet start to hurt from wearing stiletto heels. Someone who wouldn’t mind lighting a single candle in the dark instead of the chandelier. And when I give that person a thousand reasons why I think our relationship couldn’t and wouldn’t work, that person would give me just one reason why they think it would. And with that one reason, all my thousand reasons will fade away and I will realize that all I need is one to make everything work out, and with fate on our side, it will!!! Just One reason… with no doubts, no questions, no hesitations.

Cheers!!

~joyous =0)

Saturday, April 4, 2009

One Hand Friends

One Hand Friends

I want to start this off with a disclaimer… NO, this blog does not have anything to do with disabled friends or dismembered people. At least not for now… although I’m thinking maybe I should write about that too, but I’m saving that topic for later. As I go along, I hope I give anyone who’s reading this a better understanding for the title.... At least that’s the plan.

Recently, I was having lunch with my family at a restaurant. It was the day before my brother would start working. While eating my mom sat across me and my brother was sitting next to me. As usual, I’m the one who keeps talking to the extent that almost everyone is already done eating and I don’t think I’m even half way through. I asked my brother what his expectations and anticipations are. I explained to him that being in a work environment is completely different from being in school. Even the culture will be different, whether or not he has spent time with the people he’ll be working with during his practicum. I told him that the mind set of people who are working are very different from people who study or go on an internship. I gave him some advise in dealing with people from work, whether it be his superiors, coworkers, maintenance, or guards. I told him that he needs to make sure that he treats everybody well because those are the people he will be seeing day in and day out. Then we got into the topic where we started talking about friends at work. My mom jumped in the conversation right away which prompted me to ask her about her friends. My mom has always told me that she’s not one who has an overwhelming number of friends, but the friends that she has are the ones that are very dear to her and are very special people. She’s not the type who has friends from different groups of phases in her life. A lot, if not all of her friends now are the same people we’ve known since we were kids. There would be a few additions from time to time but her friends that we’ve known are the ones who’s been there every since.

I admire her relationship with her friends because I can see how much value they put into it. Seeing my mom with her friends also proved that you cant see value in numbers instead by the quality. Whenever I see my mom with her friends, I see bliss… and it’s almost like watching her experience her youth all over again. Of course, they don’t run around and play tag – nothing like that at all (because that’s something I would do!) but the enjoyment of each other’s company is very evident. Remembering those led to me ask my mom: “When you were younger, did you always know that your friends at that time would be the same friends you’ll have at your age now?”. My mom paused for a while and thought about it the answered “No, when we were younger, we didn’t know what was going to happen to us in the future. We didn’t know where we’ll be and how out lives are going to be like. But we knew we really liked each other’s company”. And her answer was very typical of her. She’s not a person who puts up with people and things she doesn’t really like. She’s not the type who would waste her time on anyone or anything. And I think that’s also a trait I got from her. Then she elaborated a little bit more on her answers. She told me that when she was a lot younger, she knew the kind of friends she wanted to have and she didn’t mind if she didn’t have as much friends as other people. She said that the few that she had were enough, more than enough actually. Because they treated each other like family and they really knew each other very well. Their love for each other was unconditional. Her family knew and loved her friends and vice versa. She and her friends looked out for each others like siblings would. They didn’t agree on every single thing, but the relationship they had were the kind where they can agree to disagree and respect each others opinions without dispute.

I told my mom that the friends I have now, are the ones that have I have been friends with since grade school/high school. These are also the same people who I pretty much grew up with and have been by my side through the highs and lows of my life. They are the same people who listened to me complain over the littlest things and also rave about the most amazing times of my life. Same people who I was with in school when we decided to carve our names on a mango tree from school with a promise that we would be friends forever. I told my mom that back then, I knew that they were going to be the friends that I will have and I will keep. I said that up until now, no matter how many new people and new friends come along, there’s something very distinct and special about them and that the bond is irreplaceable. She was very happy upon hearing it. She told me that I was very lucky that at such a young age, I was already able to recognize the quality of friendship I wanted. I said that these are the friends that our children (if/when I decide to have any) will get to know as “mom’s friends”, now that one by one, they are starting to get married. We get together from time to time, with every chance we get and truly, the feeling that I get with them is comparable to coming home. There’s always a warm feeling and the feeling that we’re safe with each other. It’s also amazing how after each get together, we text each other just to say “thank you” for a wonderful day/night, and it comes very natural to us. Something that isn’t forced or planned. Something second nature and comfortable.

I’ve always heard of the saying that true friends are hind to find, and that you can count those kinds of friends with your fingers. Well, I have 2 hands with 5 fingers on each hand and right now I know I have five friends I can call my true friends. I love my friends and although we don’t tell each other that, it is something communicated in a non verbal way. Something that does not need to be said and yet it’s understood. With that being said… unless I start growing more fingers on either or both hands, I know that the friends that I have now are more enough for the remaining of my lifetime. And hopefully, when my kids and I visit the mango tree that we carved our names on, the names that they will see there could be replaced with our childrens names but with the same promise of friendship that I had with my friends.

Arlene: Grade 4
Mars: Grade 6
Che/Almay: Grade 7
Ivy : 2nd Yr HS


Cheers!!

~joyous =0)